Shank stiffener



March 2 1926.

G. H. GILLES HANK STIFFEN Filed Jan 25, 1924 A TTORNEYS Patented Mar. 2, 1926 PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE H. GILLIS, 0F BBOOKFIELD MASSACHUSETTS.

SHANK STIFFENER.

Application filed. January 25, 1924.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that GEORGE H. GILLIS, a citizen of the United States of America, a resident of Brookfield, in the county of VVorcester, State of Massachusetts,has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shank Stiffeners, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to shank stiffeners, and has for its object the production of a shank stiffener which when introduced into a shoe will very effectively stiffen the shank portion thereof so as to support the archof the wearer without destroying the flexibility of the shoe. To attain the end mentioned, I produce a shank stiffener which comprises a pair of supporting. members which are interposed between the inner sole and outer sole of a shoe. The supporting members are secured to the shoe and said supporting members are slidable in a longitudinal direction relative to each other so that while the shank portion of the shoe is stiffened the flexibility of said shoe is not effected by the presence of the shank stiffener.

Prior to this invention, many shank stiffeners of the type disclosed herein have been secured in place in the shoe by means of rivets which extended through the outer sole of said shoe. It has been found that in time as the outer sole of the shoe was worn down therivet would be correspondingly worn, and that eventually the head of the rivet would entirely disappear, thus making it possible for water to find its way through the aperture in the outer sole through which the rivet extended, whereby the shank stiffener would be rusted and the leather of the inner and outer soles of the shoe rotted. In addition to the above, it has also been found that the continual flexing of the shoe sole tended to enlarge the aper-- ture through which the rivet passed, whereby water was permitted to pass through said aperture. The shank stiffener disclosed in the present application, instead of being secured in place by means of rivets as described, is provided with fastening devices which are formed integral with parts of said shank stiffener, and because said fastening devices do not extend entirely through the soles of the shoe the objections mentioned above are eliminated.

Serial No. 683,412.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view the invention comprises the novel construction, combination and arrangement of. parts hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention. However, it is to be understood that the invention comprehends changes, variations and modifications which come within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

Fig. I is a side elevation of a fragment of a shoe provided with one of my improved shank stifl'eners, a portion of said shoe being broken away to show the shank stiffener.

Fig. II is a perspective of my improved shank stiffener.

Fig. III is a longitudinal section through the shank stifiener shown in Fig. II.

Fig. IV is a longitudinal section of one of the supporting members of my shank stiffener.

Fig. V is a longitudinal section of the other supporting member of my improved shank stiffener.

In the drawing, A designates my improved shank stiifener which is composed of a pair of supporting members 1 and 2. The supporting members 1 and 2 are each provided with an enlarged portion 3 and 4. in each of which is formed an aperture 5. Formed on each of the supporting members 1 and 2 isa fastening device 6, said fastening devices being preferably formed integral with said supporting members 1 and 2 and being pointed so that they may be driven into portions of the shoe with which they are associated.

Fig. II illustrates my improved shank stiffener in an assembled condition, in other words, in the condition in which it will be when in a shoe. In this condition the supporting members are arranged one above the other with the adjacent faces of said suporting members in contact with each other. l vhen the supporting members 1 and 2 are assembled as illustrated in Fig. II, the end portion of each of said supporting members extends through the aperture 5 of the as sociated supporting members and each of said end portions contacts with and bears against a face of the associated member which is opposite to the face against which the main portion of the supporting member contacts. By this arrangement, it is apparent that there is a firm frictional grip between the associated supporting members, but it is likewise apparent that if the sole of the shoe with which the shank stiffener is associated were flexed so as to ekert longitudinal nrovement on said supporting members, said members would be capable of moving relative to each other.

Fig. I illustrates my improved shank stiffener applied to a. shoe. It is apparent from this view that the shank stiffener is interposed between the outer sole B and the inner sole (1' of the shoe, the supporting members 1 and 2 of the shank stiffener be ing curved to conform to the curvature of the shank portion of the shoe. In applying my improved shank stiffener to a shoe, the integral fastening device 6 of one of the supporting members is driven into the outer sole B and the fastening device 6 of the associated supporting member is driven. into the inner sole C of the shoe. This arrangement securely fixes the shank stiffener in place between said inner and outer soles and prevents said shank stiffener from being displaced. It is apparent from Fig. I that the fastening device 6 does not extend entirely through the inner sole of the shoe, consequently no discomfort will be occasioned by its presence in said inner sole and it is likewise apparent that because no rivet is extended through the outer sole of the shoe there will be no danger of water finding its way into the space between the inner and outer soles of the shoes.

In the use of a shoe provided with my improved shank stiffener, the weight of the wearer will be very effectively supported at all times and when said shoe is flexed in walking there will be no binding as with shank stilfeners formerly used, but on the other hand, the supporting members 1 and 2 will move longitudinally of each other, thus providing a shank stifiener which has the desired rigidity to support the arch of the wearer and the desired flexibility to eliminate discomfort in connection with its use.

I claim:

1. A metal shank stiffener for shoes, comprising apair of supporting members, each of said supporting members having an aperture formed therethrough, said supporting members being so arranged that one is above the other and with the adjacent faces of said supporting members in contact with each other, an end portion of each of said sup porting members being extended through the aperture in the associated member and being in contact with a face of said associated member which is opposite to the face with which the main portion of said supporting member contacts.

2. A metal shank stiffener for shoes, comprising apair of supporting members, each of said supporting members being provided with a single integral fastening device at an end thereof, said shank support being interposed between the inner sole and outer sole of a shoe, and one of said fastening devices being driven into said outer sole and the other of said fastening devices being driven into said inner sole to hold said shank support in place.

3. A metal shank stiffener for shoes, comprising a pair of suporting members, each of said supporting members being provided with a single aperture formed therethrough through which a portion of an associated supporting member extends, said shank support being interposed between the outer and inner soles of a shoe and each of said supporting members being provided with a single integral fastening device at an end thereof, one of said fastening devices being driven into said outer sole and the other of said fastening devices being driven into said inner sole to hold said shank support in place.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I hereunto ailix my signature.

GEORGE H. GILLIS. 

